Lost and Found
by Armor King
Summary: I know this is in the Rei/Usagi section but, that's only one of two main pairings, the other is adult ChibiUsa/Hotaru. Hope you all like it.
1. Lost

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Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sailor Moon!! The show, the characters, and the story belong to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, and Toei Animation... come to think of it, I'm glad I don't own that story. This is merely fanfiction, meant only for readers' enjoyment and nothing else.  
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Author's Notes: This is gonna be a sad fic about Rei and Usagi(in the beginning) and there's another main pairing at the end, ChibiUsa/Hotaru(both grown-up). No other pairings make any definite appearances. It's going to be pretty short, only 2 chapters long. In order to find out anything further, you're just going to have to read the story. On with the fic!  
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Chapter 1: Lost...  
~Dark Room~  
  
A figure walks into the room and closes the door, holding some elongated item(about 11 inches long) in their right hand. The person walks across the room to a crystalline sarcophagus(coffin), which is up to the figure's waist. The person kneels down next to the sarcophagus and places their left hand on the clear, smooth surface of it.  
  
"Rei..." the person says. A beam of light shines through an opening in a wall and illuminates the person's features... feminine countenence, a long white dress that drags the floor, sapphire-blue eyes and long golden-blonde hair, fixed-up in two odangoes.  
  
Neo-Queen Serenity looks through the clear surface of the sarcophagus at the lifeless countenence of the once Sailor Mars. The raven-haired woman looks as if she is at peace yet, she appears as though something is missing from her achievence of said peace. A tear falls from the Neo-Queen's eye and trickles down her cheek, then falls onto the surface of the sarcophagus. She lays her head down on the smooth surface and her arms across the sarcophagus, tears roll from her eyes.  
  
"I miss you so much, Rei!" Serenity says through her sniffles and tears, "Why!! W-why did you leave??"  
  
"I still remember... when you died, eight years ago..."  
Flashback...  
  
"Why Mars!?" demands Sailor Venus, "Why have you betrayed the Queen!?"  
  
Standing across the battle-field, Mars holds her sword forward, pointedly, toward Venus and the other injured senshi(Moon being the only one uninjured), "I have NOT betrayed Serenity!! I am merely carrying out my role!"  
  
"Wha--" starts Venus but, is interrupted by Sailor Moon.  
  
"What are you saying, Rei?" asks the Neo-Queen.  
  
The use of her name by Serenity causes a smile, albeit emotionless, to cross the senshi of mars' lips. The smile quickly fades, "Isn't it obvious, Serenity?" she replies, "You and I are opposites... in every possible way! So, Shouldn't it also be obvious that with your happiness comes my PAIN!?" her sword de-materializes just before she throws a fireball into the ground at the Neo-Queen's feet but, Serenity doesn't so much as flinch... knowing Rei would never harm her.  
  
However, The other senshi believe Mars was threatening the Neo-Queen and immediately retaliate. Jupiter throws a bolt of lightning toward the senshi of fire. Mars easily knocks the bolt away with her right hand, causing it to eliminate several of the youma accompanying her. Mars then, runs toward Jupiter so fast that the other senshi can barely even see her movements. By the time Jupiter realizes what Mars is doing, she attempts to raise her arms in a guard-stance, however, Mars thrusts her left shoulder into the brunette's sternum. After the intial attack, Mars straightens and hits Jupiter in the face with a left back-hand punch, knocking her around then Jupiter falls face-first onto the ground.  
  
From Mars right, Venus fires a Cresent Beam at her. Without turning her head, Mars raises her right hand and the beam deflects off, piercing a youma's chest and killing it. Mars pulls her arm back, curling it to place her hand next to the left side of her head and then turns toward the senshi of love and beauty, swinging her arm in a sweeping-motion as she does. The action causes a streak of fire to explode up through the ground, beneath Venus' feet, knocking her backward.  
  
Mercury throws her Ice Bubbles at Mars, from behind, and freezes her... temporarily. In seconds, A flaming aura enshrouds Mars and melts the ice.  
  
"Pathetic attempt, Mercury." calmly states Mars, then she teleports(?) from where she's standing to just about a foot infront of the senshi of ice, slightly to the woman's right with her back still facing the blue-haired woman.  
  
Mars thrusts her left elbow back into Mercury's abdomen, with added force by pushing with her right hand. Mercury crumbles to the ground and Mars stands back up straight. She looks back over toward Eternal Moon, who has a half-confused and half-terrified look on her face. Mars also notices tears starting to fill the Neo-Queen's eyes.  
  
"You are 'not' going to cry, are you?" asks Mars, sarcastically.  
  
Eternal Moon can't reply as she's too busy wondering what's happened to the fire senshi.  
  
Mars closes her eyes, "You can all come out now..." she says, "Outer Senshi!"  
  
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto jump down, placing themselves between Mars and Eternal Moon, their backs to the Neo-Queen.  
  
"What has happened to you, Mars??" demands Uranus.  
  
"You truly want to know..." Mars says, with a grin, "Then, You just have to defeat me."  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"Then, Let us get this over with." says Mars, calmly.  
"Uranus World Shaking!!"  
Uranus' blast heads straight for Mars, but she easily leaps the attack and dashes toward the three at a normal speed. Pluto dashes to meet her.  
  
"Setsuna! Don't!" Uranus attempts to warn her but, the warning falls of deaf ears.  
  
As Pluto and Mars near one another, the senshi of time swings her staff at Mars. Mars easily dodges, darting around behind Pluto and grabbing the older woman, hooking her right arm under Pluto's right arm(at her shoulder) and her left arm around Pluto's neck.  
  
"Mistake, Pluto. I bet you thought you knew what I was going to do, huh?" Mars says, "I am no longer bound by your so-called 'set' timeline."  
  
Mars then leaps into the air, carrying the time senshi with her. Mars backflips in the air, releasing her hold on Pluto as she does, throwing the senshi of time down onto the ground, hard. The senshi of fire then lands near the spot she was standing when Pluto swung at her and folds her arms.  
  
"Which of you wants to be next?"  
  
Neptune throws her Deep Submerge attack at the confident Mars but, as soon as the attack nears Mars, it evaporates.  
  
"Foolish, Neptune." Mars says, unfolding her arms and holding her right hand out toward the senshi of water, "Allow me to demonstrate the power of fire."  
  
Mars releases a fireball that flies at Neptune too fast to dodge and hits her in the chest, knocking her backward and onto the ground.  
  
Mars lowers her arm and says, "You're the last one, Uranus."  
  
"Why you!"  
  
Uranus dashes at Mars and swings a right punch, Mars moves her head back slightly and avoids the contact. Uranus follows through, fluidly, with a left roundhouse thrust-kick(targeting the fire senshi's abdomen), however, Mars arches back out of the way. Uranus continues, though, coming around with a left backhand punch which Mars ducks. Immediately after Uranus' arm passes over Mars' head, the fire senshi comes up with a fierce right uppercut, nailing Uranus in the chin. Uranus uses the force to spin on her left foot and attempt a right roundhouse kick at Mars head. Mars blocks with her right forearm and Uranus reverses her spin and tries a right front-roundhouse. Mars ducks the second kick-attempt and spins clockwise, performing a right leg sweep which knocks Uranus' left foot out from under her. Finishing her spin and standing up before Uranus falls, Mars hits Uranus' solar plexus with a double-palm strike, knocking Uranus to the ground with force.  
  
Mars walks over to the now petrified Eternal Moon and Aomizuchi suddenly appears, off to one side.  
  
"Yes, Finish it! Kill Neo-Queen Serenity!" Aomizuchi says.  
  
"No." Mars says, "I will fight Eternal Moon in a fair fight..." she materializes a flaming sword in her right hand. (Eternal Moon is already holding her sword in her right hand).  
  
"I-I won't fight you, Rei!" Eternal Moon states, "I won't!" she throws her sword to the ground between herself and Mars.  
  
"Are you sure, your highness?" Aomizuchi says, "Afterall, By fighting her, you *may* be able to save her... perhaps."  
  
"Besides," Rei says, "It is the only way to end this."  
  
"A-alright. I will. To save you, Rei."  
  
"Very well, then." Mars says, moving her foot under the blade of Serenity's sword. She throws the sword up and Eternal Moon catches it, blocking Mars' downward swing by holding the blade up horizontally.  
  
Mars brings her sword back and swings it horizontally from her left. Eternal Moon counters by dropping her arms down to place the blade of her own sword in the strike-path of Mars' sword. So Mars spins around and attempts a sword-sweep at Moon's legs but, the Neo-Queen jumps and lets the sword *swoosh* beneath her feet. Eternal Moon finally swings her sword at the fire senshi offensively and, as easy as it would be for Mars to parry the horizontal slash, the blade connects... cutting a gash across the fire senshi's abdomen and Mars drops to one knee.  
  
"Oh no! Rei!!" Eternal Moon cries as she drops her sword and starts to kneel next to Mars.  
  
"Stay your ground, Serenity." Mars says, with her left hand held out toward the Neo-Queen, "This is how it has to be." she forces herself to her feet, now covering her wound with her left hand, "Now, Let us finish... we shall play out our alloted destinies."  
  
"But--" Moon starts to say but then there's a bright light off to the side(Moon's right, Mars' left).  
  
Suddenly, Mars shoves the Neo-Queen out of the way of a blast from Aomizuchi, just as the attack hits the fire senshi's torso. However, Mars throws her flaming sword with her right hand and, as the sword pierces Aomizuchi's chest, Mars falls. Eternal Moon catches the fire senshi in her arms as the youma slowly burns.  
  
End Flashback(long one, ne?)...  
"I remember..." Serenity says, "I held you in my arms, just before you died." she raises her head and forces a waining smile, "I remember what you asked of me..."...  
Flashback...  
  
Eternal Moon is now on her knees, holding the dying fire senshi in her arms... The other senshi are recovering(none have any serious wounds). Mars is coughing and shivering slightly, her right hand is being held by the Neo-Queen's left.  
  
"Rei..."  
  
"It's alright... Usagi." Mars manages, she coughs again then swallows, "This is how it had to play out... Usagi, I've done alot of... bad things to you and--"  
  
"Don't Rei." Eternal Moon interrupts, tears flowing freely from her eyes, "You... You don't need to apologize. I know you wanted me to be strong, I understand."  
  
"I don't think... you do..." Mars says, then swallows again, "You don't understand h-how... deeply I love you, how deeply I... always have..." she forces a weak smile, looking up at the odango-atama, "Looks like my duties end here..."  
  
"Why?... Why do you have to die?" questions Eternal Moon.  
  
"I already told you... We are complete opposites, you and I. Thus... your life equals... my death." Mars says, then coughs, "But... There is... something. Just one time... just one time, I wish I-I... could have tasted your kiss. Just... once..."  
  
"Just once..." Moon repeats, and adds, "You can." she leans down, her lips trembling slightly as she presses them to Mars' lips and... for the briefest of moments, Rei feels whole and finally experiences what she has so long desired, to taste her true love's kiss. At the same time... Usagi, at last, understands fully how the fire senshi has felt for her for so long and how deep that love runs. During which, Mars intwines her fingers with Usagi's and then... it's over. Mars' hand falls limp in Usagi's and her lips grow cold.  
  
End Flashback...  
"I granted your last request." the Neo-Queen says, "I gave you your dearest wish and... have discovered, lost the dearest wish *I* ever had... you."  
  
She sniffles once, "Not for much longer, though. You were wrong, you know... there is one thing that is not opposite about you and I... with your death, I too died, inside." she continues, "My daughter is now old enough to take over my position as queen." she lifts the object that is in her right hand, revealing it to be a dagger, "Do you remember, Rei? You gave me this dagger during the Silver Millennium." she raises the dagger up, "Now I shall use it to try to find you." 'I love you, Rei.' she thinks 'And... hopefully, I shall see you soon.' she thrusts the dagger toward her chest ~*black screen/flash of red*~...  
Next day...  
~Outside the Crystal Palace~  
  
"Where could she have gone?" questions Jupiter, to no one in particular.  
  
"I wonder, as well." Mercury says.  
  
"We have got to find her!" states Endymion.  
  
Venus begins to say something, but is interrupted by a scream, "That sounded like it came from Mars' tomb!" she states, instead. The senshi and king go to the tomb to find out the reason for the scream. They enter the tomb to find the caretaker crying and why she screamed...  
  
"The Queen!"  
  
There, laying partially on Mars' sarcophagus is Neo-Queen Serenity, a dagger in her chest(obviously through her heart), dried blood around the blade and on the sarcophagus. Mercury turns and buries her face in against Jupiter's shoulder(she's standing closest to Mercury), Jupiter hugs the other woman to comfort her. Venus walks over to the Neo-Queen's body and confirms all the senshi's worst fear... Usagi is, indeed, dead. The love senshi then notices, in Usagi's left hand is a note. She collects the note and opens it.  
  
"What does it say, Venus?" asks Uranus, just after wiping a tear from her right eye.  
  
The senshi of love fights to choke-back her own tears and proceeds to read the note aloud...  
*:Greetings, My friends.  
  
I know you are sad about me but, I ask you not to grieve. I now find that eight years ago, upon Mars'... no, Rei's death, I too died. These years since, I have been like a walking corpse, an empty shell... as if my soul had died but my body was alive. Tell Endymion: I am sorry but, although I love him, I cannot continue with this pain. My daughter is old enough now to accend to Queen and I implore you all, please, follow her and teach her... help her as you have all helped me. I believe she may indeed be a better queen than I ever could have been. I love you all, my friends... but I know, now, that I belong with Rei, she is my other half and one cannot live missing half of themself... I have gone to be with her, my true love... because, only together can she and I be whole. I wish all of you well, my dear friends and... Goodbye...   
Love, Tsukino Usagi:*  
After wiping fresh tears from her eyes, Venus looks at the faces of the two and comments, "They do look as though they are both finally at peace."  
  
"She was missing her true love and, she was lost..." Uranus says, then she looks beside her at Michiru, "She did the same thing I would have to be with my true love."  
  
"She may still be *lost*." Pluto says, stoically(as always), "But, It was inevitable."  
  
"What do you mean, inevitable?" asks Mercury.  
  
"History always repeats itself..." Pluto explains, "Especially when it is such sad history. She is not the first Serenity to fall in love with one of her senshi... nor is she the first to have chosen duty. However, It is also true that she did not know of her feelings or those of Mars'. That is because Mars did not want to repeat that sad history. Unfortunately, As it happens, she failed to prevent it."  
  
"Not the *first*...?" wonders Venus, out loud.  
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To Be Continued...  
Well? The first part's over. The next part will be mostly about ChibiUsa/Hotaru. However, In the beginning, there is some more about the *first*. Anyway, Hope you tune in to read it... Rei and Usagi will probably make an appearance near the end of the next(also last) chapter. Well, Be sure to read and review, ne? Ja! 


	2. Found

A.N. Welp, Here we are, chapter 2. And, If you're wondering what made Rei so powerful... It was Aomizuchi's influence, which increased Rei's powers many fold. Anyway, Here's the second chapter, Enjoy:  
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Chapter 2: Found...  
~Outside the Tomb/Later~  
  
Pluto, Uranus, Mercury and Jupiter are talking.  
  
"What did you mean earlier, Pluto?" asks Jupiter.  
  
"The former Queen Serenity, of the Moon Kingdom..." Pluto begins, "She, too, fell in love with one of her senshi. Unlike what happened with Usagi and Rei, though, the former Serenity shared a relationship with the senshi she had fallen in love with."  
  
"What happened?" asks Mercury.  
  
"They had a happy relationship... until the fateful day that it became time for Serenity to accend to queen." Pluto continues, "Her duty was to marry and have a child, to assume the throne should she herself die... that has always been the duty of the Serenity-bloodline. And, To her true love's protest, Serenity chose duty over love and wed Usagi's father."  
  
"I'm not sure I like where this led." Jupiter inserts.  
  
"With good reason." Pluto says, "A short while before the princess was born, the queen's former lover, her true love, murdered the king while he slept. She made no attempt to hide the fact that it was indeed her. Thus, The queen had no recourse but to... banish her love into the darkest prison... the Negaverse..."  
  
"The Negaverse!?" Uranus says, stunned(as are the other two), "Then, The senshi was..."  
  
Pluto nods, "The later ruler of the renamed Dark Kingdom," she responds, "Queen Beryl." the others gasp and Pluto continues, "She was, in fact, a sailor senshi before the tragedy... she became so consumed with rage and hatred, mostly toward the princess, that she forgot Serenity and the love they shared. Thus, She broke free of the Negaverse and destroyed the Moon Kingdom, causing the death of the only one that she had ever loved. Later, Beryl herself met her demise at the hands of the princess and her senshi."  
  
The others are shocked and speechless at the time senshi's words.  
  
"It is sad, sad that such a tragic history had to be repeated..." Pluto says, "And, Probably will be again..."  
~Near the Crystal Palace/A Week Later~  
(time-skipped, Usagi's entombment is over and ChibiUsa has accended to queen... From this point on, ChibiUsa will be referred to as Serenity(her proper name, being queen) or Usa(by Hotaru)... mainly because she's no longer Chibi, she's grown up...)  
  
The new Queen Serenity is walking in the garden near the palace, still saddened over the loss of her mother but doing her best to cope with it. The pink-haired queen kneels and picks two flowers, a red rose and a white rose... the two flowers so much like Rei and Usagi, one dark and one light. Serenity breaks down and begins crying, cupping her hands over her face.  
  
"You miss them alot, don't you?" asks a voice that Serenity recognizes as that of Saturn.  
  
"Taru?" the young queen says as she turns to see the senshi of death and rebirth.  
  
"Venus told me you were out here." Saturn says, kneeling next to the pink-haired Serenity, "You want to talk about it, Usa?"  
  
Serenity nods, "My mother was so important to me, even though we used to fight alot, she was always so kind and loving." she says, "And, I looked up to Rei more than the others, always calm and confident, she was also my mother's best friend and more of a parent to me than my father, she was there for me more often."  
  
Saturn places her hand on Serenity's shoulder, "I understand how you feel, Usa." she says, "I, too, miss them. But, Death finds us all, eventually... it was fate."  
  
"How can you say that, Taru?" questions Serenity, standing and turning to face the senshi of death and rebirth. "I don't believe that!" she states, "And, Neither should you!"  
  
"Why not, Usa?" Saturn responds, standing up as well, "I mean, Was it not Rei's unshakeable belief in fate and destiny that is the reason she never told your mother the truth? Thus, Would it not have been the cause of their deaths then?"  
  
Again, Tears start spilling from the pink-haired queen's red eyes. Saturn hugs Serenity, "I am sorry, Usa." she says, "I didn't mean to sadden you further."  
  
"I'm alright, Taru." Serenity says, returning the hug. Then she thinks, 'As long as you're with me.'  
  
'I love you, Usa. And, I want to tell you.' Saturn thinks 'But, After what happened to Rei and Usagi, I don't know if I can.'  
  
"How sweet." a sarcastic male voice says.  
  
The two girls release one another and turn(Saturn's right, Serenity's left) to see someone they believed dead.  
  
"It's you... Aomizuchi!" Serenity says, "But, You died! Mars killed you!"  
  
"Hm, A new Serenity?" Aomizuchi says, questioningly, "Where is the other one?"  
  
"You should know." Saturn says, calmly, "Since you know so much about us."  
  
Aomizuchi brings his right hand to his chin for a moment, "Ah yes, Her love for that one called Mars. The love she failed to admit to herself." he says, "It was their own fault, you know."  
  
"Wha--?"  
  
"It was they who would not admit the truth, that is what caused their deaths." Aomizuchi interrupts, "Just as the truth of the prior Serenity, of the Moon Kingdom. Her death happened because she chose her duty above her love... thus she banished Beryl to the Negaverse, where I took her feelings of rejection and turned them to hatred and rage. Thus caused their deaths."  
  
"You mean you were responsible for them as well?" questions Saturn.  
  
"Me?" Aomizuchi says, "I merely set the stage... after the fact. Just as I did with Mars and her queen. Mars came to me, just as Beryl did. And, I took her feelings of lonliness and despair, and turned them into the desire to avenge her broken heart... the end result: Both, Mars' and her queen's lives ended. Bwahahahahaha..."  
  
"BASTARD!!" shouts Saturn, picking up her silence glaive.  
  
"HA!" Aomizuchi throws his arms out to the sides and then holds both of his hands forward toward the two women. He sends a blast flying at them, which Saturn uses her glaive to create a barrier against the beam-like attack.  
  
Aomizuchi moves his left hand to his left and traps the approaching senshi(Pluto and the others) in a dome-like energy-structure, then returns his left hand forward to increase the power of his beam attack.  
  
"Now," Aomizuchi says, arrogantly, "There is no one to interfere."  
  
Saturn glances back over her shoulder at the pink-haired Serenity and says, "Just stay behind me, Usa. I promise I will protect you."  
  
Serenity nods slightly, "A-alright." she responds.  
  
Saturn then turns back to face Aomizuchi. Tightening her grip on the silence glaive, Saturn pushes the top part forward slightly with her right hand and the shaft of the glaive glows purple.  
  
"Attempting to overpower me, Saturn?" questions Aomizuchi, with a smirk. "You know you cannot risk using your full power. Because you would most certainly destroy the one you are protecting."  
  
Saturn's violet eyes widen just slightly and the glow fades from the glaive's shaft. Aomizuchi increases the force of his attack further and Saturn drops to one knee, still managing to maintain the barrier.  
  
"Taru!" Serenity says, worriedly, "Are you okay?"  
  
Saturn nods, "I'm fine." she says.  
  
"For now, you mean. But, How long do you believe you can hold out against me... without using your full power?" Aomizuchi questions, arrogantly, as he further intensifies the power of his beam.  
  
"I will hold out..." Saturn says, forcing herself back to her feet, "As long as I have to..." the strength of the barrier increases.  
~Inside the dome~  
  
"Isn't there anything we can do!?" questions Uranus.  
  
"I'm afraid not." Mercury replies, using her mini-computer to check the dome's structure, "According to this, The only way to get out of here is... if Aomizuchi is destroyed."  
  
"Dammit!" shouts Jupiter, slamming her right fist against the inner-wall of the dome.  
~Outside~  
  
"I will protect Usa!" Saturn states, "No matter what!!"  
  
Serenity's eyes widen somewhat and she remembers when Rei had said the same thing about her mother, Usagi. She then realizes that Saturn houses the same feelings for her that she herself has for the senshi of death and rebirth.  
  
"Fine then!" Aomizuchi says, "DIE!!" he intensifies the power of his attack to its maximum.  
  
"Not before you!" shouts Saturn. And, using her glaive, she finally manages to deflect Aomizuchi's blast in a safe direction(toward the sky).  
  
Aomizuchi turns his head to follow the blast with his eyes. Then, His eyes widen slightly before turning his head back toward Saturn, just the senshi of death and rebirth slashes with the blade of her glaive. Aomizuchi attempts to dodge but, doesn't entirely escape and receives a gash along his chest. He then knocks Saturn back with a blast and holds his left hand over his wound.  
  
Serenity runs over to Saturn, as the senshi gets to her feet. "I'm alright, Usa." Saturn says.  
  
"Are you sure?" asks the young queen. Saturn nods.  
  
"Arghh. How...?" Aomizuchi questions, more to himself than anyone else, "Why did her attack injure me?! I don't understand..."  
  
"It's time to finish him." Saturn says, picking up her glaive.  
  
"Wait." Serenity says, stopping the senshi of death and rebirth.  
  
"What is it, Usa?"  
  
"I just wanted... to say that, um," Serenity stumbles over her words, "I-I lo..." she swallows then smiles, "I love you, Taru."  
  
Saturn's eyes widen and she tightens her grip on the silence glaive, "Usa, I..." she starts, loosening her grip somewhat, 'I can't keep it a secret anymore... I have to tell her.' "I... love you, too." she says, turning to meet Serenity's ruby eyes.  
  
Serenity hugs the black-haired senshi and Saturn returns the embrace, hugging Serenity with her left arm(she's holding the glaive in her right hand).  
  
'Is that why?' Aomizuchi wonders 'Was I too late with these two?'  
  
The pink-haired queen then, to everyone's surprise(well, perhaps not Pluto's), presses her lips to Saturn's.  
  
"Arrghhh!!" Aomizuchi goans, as his wound from Mars' sword reappears and the wound he received from Saturn's glaive starts bleeding.  
  
Saturn drops her glaive and embraces Serenity with her right arm, as she returns the queen's undemanding kiss.  
  
Aomizuchi begins dissolving, bit-by-bit, "NOOOO!!!" he yells, dropping to one knee.  
  
Aomizuchi's yell gains everyone's attention, Saturn and Serenity breaking apart... and the dome-structure imprisoning the other senshi dissipates.  
  
Thus, All eyes are on the youma... "I CAN STILL SUCCEED!! I SWEAR!" Aomizuchi yells, continuing to slowly dissolve, "PLEASE, DO NOT---" he vanishes in a bright flash of light.  
  
"Is he...?" wonders Serenity out loud.  
  
"Yes, Aomizuchi is dead." a familiar voice says, as two familiar forms appear... one with two odangoes and long pig-tails, and the other has long raven-hair.  
  
"Mother? Rei?" asks Serenity, "H-how?"  
  
"We were granted the chance to appear to you, upon knowledge of Aomizuchi's death." Usagi explains.  
  
"Speaking of which," Saturn says, "How 'did' he die?"  
  
"The two of you." Usagi says.  
  
"What does that mean?" asks Serenity.  
  
"Many centuries ago," Rei explains, "Aomizuchi apparently made a deal with the 'Fates'. The deal was, that if Aomizuchi could insure the Serenities each placed their duty first, then he would live forever... basically, meaning that if he could keep each Serenity, in-turn, from their true love or come between them and their true love, he would be immortal."  
  
"A being that was out of Death's reach?" wonders Saturn aloud.  
  
"Yes." Usagi says, "In fact, It was he that coaxed Beryl into murdering my father. Thus, Causing my mother to banish her and allowing Aomizuchi to turn her despair into hatred."  
  
"And," Rei adds, "Many times, Aomizuchi appeared to me in my visions... telling me that Usagi would never return my feelings and, to my disgust, I began to believe him. He, thus, caused what happened eight years ago. We could have prevented it, had we just faced our feelings."  
  
"True. For he could not have came between us." Usagi says, "The two of you, though, have too great a bond between you... all you needed, as well, was to admit your feelings for one another. Thus, Aomizuchi failed his part of the deal and the 'Fates' took his life, because they knew he would be unable to come between you, once you admitted the truth."  
  
"My love." Rei says to Usagi, placing her hand on the blonde's shoulder, "Our time is almost up here."  
  
Usagi turns her head to face the raven-haired woman and nods once, "Alright." she says, then briefly kisses Rei's lips. She smiles at the raven-haired woman, then turns back to Saturn and her daughter.  
  
"We have to go shortly." Usagi says, smiling now at the two younger women, "I wish you both happiness. And Saturn, take care of my daughter." Saturn nods.  
  
"Don't take anything for granted." Rei advises, "The future is never set, it can change with a single simple word..." she glances to Usagi, "Or three." She, too, smiles at the two and then, she and Usagi start fading.  
  
"Goodbye." Usagi adds, just before she and Rei vanish.  
  
Afterward, Saturn notices tears rolling from Serenity's eyes and places a hand on the queen's shoulder, "Are you alright, Usa?" she asks.  
  
"Better than alright, Taru." Serenity replies, smiling, "I know they have found their happiness, together. And, As long as I know that, I can't mourn their deaths. I can let go." she turns to the senshi of death and rebirth, "Now, Where were we?" she asks, wrapping her arms around Saturn again.  
  
Saturn returns the embrace, "I believe we were here." she responds, pressing her lips to her love's. Serenity returns the kiss.  
  
"Doesn't look like history's going to repeat itself again afterall, huh Pluto?" Venus says to the senshi of time.  
  
"It doesn't appear so." Pluto responds, with a rare smile.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~------!!The End!!------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ramblings: So? How was it? Hm? Hm? Do you think I did alright with adult (Chibi)Usa and Hotaru? Well, Read and Review, and tell me whether or not you like it. I'm gone. Ja! 


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